Delivery-table mechanism



July 27 1926. l A1,593,573

E. F. DUDLEY DELIVERY TABLE MECHANISM Filed April 22. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l' July 27 1926.

E. F. DUDLEY DELIVERY TABLE MECHANISM 2 t e m S. t e m 2 2 2 m6 .4 2 2 1. .l w.. Aw d e 1 i F illnlllll Cil Patented July 27,1926.

-UNl'rEolsIATEs PATENT OFFICE..

`EDWARD R'DUDLEY, OF OAI: PARK, ILLINOIS, AssIGNOR To MIEHLE PRINTING PRESS a MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLI- NOIS.

' DELIVERY-TABLE MEGHANISM.

Application filed April 22, 1922. Serial No. 555,953.

This invention relates to printing presses and more particularly to delivery table mechanism.

While this invention is not limited to a vertical type of printing press, I have illustrated same in connection with such a press. The feed pile, which is notshown, is gradually fed upwardly increment by increment, in accordance with the feed of sheet material therefrom, which material is vfed to the printing fcylinder, receives an impression and then is removed therefrom by delivery grippers which convey the impressed sheets of material to the delivery table. This invention relates to the delivery table operating mechanismr and provision is made whereby the delivery table is gradually lowered automatically as impressed sheets of mate- .rial are fed thereto. Broadly speaking, it is not new to provide means for automatically lowering a delivery table.` However, so far as I know, it -is new to provide such delivery table mechanism with means for safeguarding such mechanism after the table has been lowered to a predetermined limit.

One object of my invention is to provide simple, reliable and eiicient means for automatically preventing driving power to be transmitted to the delivery table afterit has reached a predeterminedlimit in its movement.

Another object is to provide simple, reliable and eh'ici'ent means for automatically connecting the delivery tablewith its operating mechanism after the load or pile of paper is removed therefrom at a limit of t movement.

These and other objects are accomplished by means of the arrangements disclosed on the accompanying sheets of drawings,` in which` Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the delivery table side of the printing press embodying my invention; l l

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view, parts being in section, taken in the plane of line 2-2 of Figure '1; and

Figure 3 is anfenlarged detail view, parts being shown in section, and taken in the plane of line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The various novel features of the inveny-tion will be apparent from the following description and drawings, and `will be particularly pointed.. Yout inf the appended claims. n

Referring to the gure's of the drawings, it will be noted that my invention is illustrated in connection with a vertical type of printing press, including a main frame upon which a way-frame 11 is mounted in which the type bed, not shown, is reciprocated in a vertical direction. Mounted in the frame 11 isa rock shaft 12-which receive-s its rocking motion from any suitable source through connecting members 13 and 14. A bracket 15 is secured to the way-frame 11 which carries at its upper end a stop-plate 16. A worm gear 17 rotatably mounted in the bracket 15 normally is driven by a worm 18 secured to a shaft 19, upon one end of which a bell crank lever 2O is loosely and rotatably mounted. One arm 21 of the bell crank lever is pivotally connected lto one end of a link 22, the other end of which is pivotally connected to an arm 23 secured to the rock shaft 12. Pivotally mounted at the end of the other arm 24 of the bell crank Llever 2O is a pawl 25 which is pressed toward or into engagement 'with the ratchet wheel 26 by a spring 27. It is apparent, therefore, that the pawl 25 i-s given an oscillatory movement through the various connecting parts from the rock shaft 12 and whenever the teeth of the .ratchet wheel 26 are in driving engagement with the pawl v25 said ratchet wheel 26 and the shaft 1.9 to which it is secured, are, given a feeding movement, the extent of which is controlled in a manner`to be"` referred to presently. This feeding movement is transmitted through the shaft 19, worm 18 and worm gear 17 to a shaft 28, it being noted that the shaft 28 is connected to the worm gear 17 through a collar 29 secured to the shaft and having a tongue 30 which normally occupies a groove 31 in the sleeve ofy the worm gear 17. Formed on the shaft 28 is a gear 32 which, when actuated through the driving parts raises or lowers an operating rod 33 by virtue ofthe fact that the gear'32 meshes with a rack 34 formed onl the rod 33. Supported on the rod 33 is the delivery table 35 which receives impressed. sheets 36 of material. Y --If-it is desired to, raise or lower the table 35 manually the same may be done by gripping the handle 37 secured to one end of the s aft 28 and thrust same inwardly against the tension of .a spring 38,`whereupon the collar' 29 will be disconnected from the sleeve of the worm gear 17 for permitting the delivery table 35 to be adjusted in a vertical l direction.

As mentioned above, the table is automatically lowered increment b y increment, the extent of which increments depends upon the eiective throw oi the pawl 25. The pawl 25 may be in driving engagement with the ratchet 26 throughout 1ts entire throw, or for any portion thereof, for varying the extent ot' lowering movement o1n the delivery table 35. Referring to Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, it will be noted that loosely mounted upon the shaft 19 is 'a toothed wheel 39 having a laterally extending flange 40 which is eccentric with respect to the shaft 19. A pin 41 extending laterally from the front end of the pawl 25 is adapted to ride over the cam 40 and, as a result thereof, either raised out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, or for permite ting the pawl, under the influence of the spring 27, to be lowered into engagement with the ratchet wheel 26. It is apparent, therefore,- that by adjusting the disk 39 loosely mounted on the shaft 13, the position of the flange 40 with respect to the pawl 25 may be varied and, accordingly, the effective driving throw of the pawl may be varied. For holding the disk 39 in any adjusted position a spring linger 42 yieldably engages any one of the teeth 43 in the disk lVhile hereinabove I have described substantially all of the mechanism for operating the delivery table, the invention resides more particularly in means for preventing-the table from being lowered beyond a predetermined limit. In this connection, it will be noted that the supporting rod 33 is provided with a flat spot or recess 44 which is devoid of teeth, formed at the upper end of the rack 34, so it will be appreciated that when'the delivery table supporting rod 33 is lowered tothe extent that the rack k34 is lowered out of engagement with its driving gear 32 and such gear then occupies the ,recess 44, no driving motion will be transmitted to the supporting rod Accordingly, it is impossible to transmit a lowermg movement to the delivery table beyond a certain predetermined lower limit and' in this way it is impossible to cramp or jam any of the operating parts.

` Attention is called to the fact that when the delivery table. 35 is approaching its lower limit of movement and the recess 44 is appreaching the gear 32, springs 45 carried in pockets 46 in the delivery table 35 will pass into engagement with the stop plate 16 and be compressed, the compression of which springs will be continuously increased until the driving gear 32A occupies the recess 44 of the 'rod 33, whereupon no further lowering driving movement is transmitted to the rod 33 `and the delivery table 35.

However, if' under these conditions, after the table 35 has reached its lower limit of movement, the impressed sheet materials 36 is removed'from the table 35, the stored energy in the springs 45 will raise the table toA the extent that the rack 34 again meshes with the gear 32 and if the operator has Anot manually raised the table by the use of the operating handle 37, as hereinabove mentioned, no harm can be done to the gear parts for the reason that the rack 34 again will be lowered to the extent that the gear 32 will move into the recess 44 in the rod 33 and no further downward movement be transmitted to the rod 33 and the supporting table 35. After the table 35 has reached its lower limit, it is usually raised immediately by pressing the operating handle 37 inwardly and rotating same in a direction for manually raising the table 35, it being understood that the gear 32 is then disconnectedA from the automatic operating mechanism through the disconnection ot" the tongue and groove arrangement 30 and 31. l

By means of the arrangement hereinabove described, the operating mechanism of the delivery table is protected against injury at all times, the operating rack of the delivery table automatically being thrown out of gear when the table has reached a predetermined lower limit, and such operating mechanism automatically thrown back into gear when the sheet materia] on the delivery table has been removed therefrom.

It is my intention to cover all modifications of the invention falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In delivery table mechanism. the combination of a delivery table, a rod carrying same and having a rack, a gear normally meshing with said rack for lowering said table, and means whereby said gear and rack are moved out of mesh with each other for automatically stopping the lowering movement of said table after the latter has been lowered a predetermined amount.

2. In delivery table mechanism, the combination of a delivery table, a rod carrying same and having a rack, a gear normally meshing with said'rack for lowering said table, means whereby said gear and rack are moved out of mesh with each other for automatically stopping the lowering movement of said table after the latter has been lowered a predetermined amount, and means for automatically restoring the driving relationship hetween said rack and gear.

, 3. In delivery table mechanism, the combination of a delivery table, a rod carrying same and having a rack, a gear normally meshing with said rack for actuating said table, andmeans whereby said gear and rack are moved out of mesh witheach othefor automatically stopping the lowering move ment of said table after the latter has been iti lowered a predetermined amount.

4. In delivery table mechanism, the combination of a delivery table, a rod upon which said delivery table is mounted having a rack, and a gear normally in engagement with said rack for actuating said delivery table, said rod having a recess associated with said rack whereby upon a predetermined relative movement between said rod and gear, said rack and gear -are disconnected for preventing further-movement of said delivery table in a given direction.

5. In delivery tablemechanism, the combination of a delivery table, a trod upon which said delivery table is mounted havinga rack,

' a gear normallyin engagement with said rack for actuating said delivery table, said rod having a recess associated `with said rack whereby upon a predetermined relative movement between said rod. and gear, said rack and gear are disconnected for 'preventing further movement of said delivery table in a given direction, and means for automatically re-establishing the drivingrelation-- ship between said gear and rack.

, 6. In delivery table mechanism, the combination of a delivery table, a rod upon which said delivery table is mounted having a rack, a gear normally in engagement with said rack for actuating said tdelivery table, saidrod having a recess associated with said rack whereby upon a predetermined relative movement between said rod and gear, said rack and gear are disconnected for preventing further movement of said delivery table in a given direction, and a spring carried by said table and having energy stored therein as said rack and gear are being moved out of operative association 'whereby when material is removed from said table t-he spring will move said rack and gear back into drivinl relationship.

igned Aat Chicago, Illinois, this 17th day of' April, 1922. y

EDWARD F. DUDLEY. 

